Tommy & the High Pilots In LA Dec. 21

Tommy and The High Pilots
Silverlake Lounge ~ 2906 W Sunset Blvd ~ LosAngeles, CA~
http://www.foldsilverlake.com
Tuesday, December 21
8:00 PM
Tix: TBD
Ages: 21+
Website: www.Facebook.com/thehighpilots

Bio: Its been an interesting few years for Tom Cantillon, beginning with the unexpected breakup of his former band, Holden, in 2007.

Craving a change of scenery, the Santa Barbara native traded the west coast for the east coast and spent a year in New York City, soaking in his new surroundings and filling his song book along the way. Now freshly inspired, Cantillon moved back to California and recorded Everynight with his new band, Tommy and The High Pilots, in 2008. Two years later, the Pilots are releasing their follow-up EP, American Riviera, on September 7 while kicking off their first national tour in Chicago on September 9.

"I continue to find things to write about in my life," says Cantillon, who cites the Talking Heads and Tom Petty as two of his influences. "Something always pops up and I need to sit down and flesh it out, even if it starts with one lyric, one chord, one riff. "

The singer says the time he spent in New York naturally left an indelible mark on his songwriting. "New York was such a different world, being from the beach in Santa Barbara, that I had a change of influence if only by the change in scenery and culture. I write what is around and the differences are extreme from coast to coast."

With so much material to choose from, Cantillon and his fellow Pilots-- Steve Libby (bass), Matt Palermo (drums) and Cantillon's younger brother Michael (electrics, acoustics and keyboards) -- faced a unique set of challenges when it came time to choose the six songs for the final cut on American Riviera. Fortunately, the band members could lean on the talents of veteran producer Marc McClusky.

Working with Marc was highly educational, Cantillon says. "He has a knack for taking aimless bits and pieces of a song and giving them direction. The cool thing about Marc is that he wants the band to be happy with the final product. Because of that, the camaraderie and brotherhood in the studio was incredible."

With their second album wrapped up, Tommy and The High Pilots are looking forward to touring the U.S. for the first time alongside St. Louis rockers Ludo, playing many of the songs Cantillon wrote during his time in New York.

"In moving back home, I carried the time and experience with me, and I always will," Cantillon says. "I think I have a hybrid style of writing in some weird way: the sand, ocean and mountains lying under the skyscrapers and subways."

That is American Riviera in a nutshell.

For more information, including tour dates, please visit www.Facebook.com/thehighpilots